Hermès, more than anything else, is known for its luxurious handbags. Desired the world over for their style, heritage, and quality, Hermès handbags are forever in demand, most especially the triumvirate of Hermès’ most-known and beloved styles: the Birkin, the Kelly, and the Constance.
Over its 187-year history, Hermès has produced many bag styles, some of which have been continuously produced and enjoyed since they were introduced; other styles are cycled in and out of production, and still others are only found in vintage shops and archives.
The Birkin, Kelly, and Constance are truly styles every bag lover should know, but Hermès produces many other classic, elegant, and useful bags to suit every taste and style.
The 10 Hermès Bags You Should Know
The story of Hermès bags began in 1837 when harness-maker and founder Thierry Hermès opened a workshop and began making saddlery.
From the beginning and through six generations, Hermès has maintained its values of quality, timelessness, usefulness, innovation, beauty, and social responsibility.
The importance of making beautiful but useful objects that would withstand the test of time has always been front and center for this continuously family-owned business, which is why it has maintained a reputation for excellence since the 1800s.
Hermès started producing bags as an outgrowth of its saddlery; their very first bag, the Haut á Courroies (HAC), was designed in 1892 by Thierry’s son, Charles-Émile, in collaboration with his own sons Émile and Adolphe, for carrying saddles and boots.
Over the years, the HAC’s distinct design has become incredibly influential in many of Hermès’ most popular offerings; important elements have not only been incorporated into bag designs but also into popular items from nearly every department.
The Hermès Birkin
The Birkin is arguably the most famous and coveted of all of the bags Hermès produces, if not the most famous handbag style in the world, having been immortalized in many aspects of popular culture over the past few decades, from photography to film to social media.
Its shape—essentially a slightly east-west rectangle with top handles and straps across the front—is immediately recognizable not only by most bag lovers but also by most of their spouses and partners.
The Birkin’s cultural significance began during a fateful flight from Paris to London, when French singer-actress (and mother of three) Jane Birkin was seated next to then-Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas. Frustrated with her straw travel bag, Birkin complained to Dumas, who asked her what she would do to improve it.
The seatmates spent their flight adapting the HAC into a design that would be more useful for the modern woman who, like Birkin, juggled work and children. The result of their collaboration, which Dumas named after her, became popular almost immediately after it began production in 1984.
As a tote bag featuring a front flap that hooks over a turnlock (the bag can be locked over built-in straps via the included lock and keys) and interior slip and zip pockets, the Birkin is easy to use: as the bag is wider than it is deep, items are easier to search for inside the bag; it is proportionally slim for a tote, and the flap-and-strap design gives it a versatile, casual-but-structured appearance.
It is produced in the 25, 30, and 35cm sizes, with the 25 cm size currently being the most popular; the 20 cm size has recently begun production (mostly in exotic leathers or in the Birkin Faubourg variation) so it is still rare.
The 40 cm size can sometimes still be found; there is also 45cm size produced for travel. Each Birkin takes a single artisan approximately 15-20 hours to make.
The Hermès Kelly
The Kelly has a rich history dating back nearly 100 years. In 1935, Robert Dumas designed a bag for his wife; the style, which he named the Sac à Dépêches, took major design elements from the Haut à Courroies (HAC) bag, which was designed in the 1850s. It was also influenced by the Monaco bag (which is fitting in a somewhat karmic way).
The bag, which was known as “the ladies’ bag with straps”, was renamed the “Kelly” in 1956, when movie star-turned-Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly famously used her Dépêches to hide her pregnancy from the paparazzi; those photos appeared everywhere, making the bag incredibly popular, and Hermès renamed it for her as a result.
The Kelly is produced in both the Sellier (rigid – external stitching) and Retourne (soft – internal stitching) structures for sizes 25, 28, 32, and 35 cm; the 20 cm Mini Kelly is only produced in the Sellier structure. Larger sizes like the 40 cm and the Maxi are still produced but are rare.
You can read our editorial on Hermès Kelly sizes here.
Over the years, the Kelly has undergone many design variations, including the Kelly Cut (clutch), the Kelly Ado (backpack), the Kelly Danse (waist bag), and the Dépêches 25 (wrist pouch); each of these variations is usually produced in either one or the other structure, depending on the style.
However, only the original Kelly design comes with the clochette, lock, keys (for sizes 25 and larger), and a strap.
The Hermès Constance
In the early 1960s, Jean-Louis Dumas was a regular customer of Victoire, a trendy boutique in Paris that attracted a young and fashionable clientele. In 1967, Dumas asked designer Catherine Chaillet, Victoire’s owner, to design a new handbag for Hermès.
Chaillet, who was pregnant with her fifth child at the time, began designing it immediately, and as soon as she was finished, she gave birth; the bag was named Constance, after Chaillet’s newborn daughter. The design was soon a favorite of Jacqueline Kennedy, who carried hers frequently, thereby garnering popularity and demand for the bag.
Another practical yet elegant design, with an adjustable shoulder strap and a large H clasp that opens and closes with ease via its spring mechanism, the Constance is currently produced in sizes 18 and 24 cm (older models were produced in sizes 23, 25 and 29 cm); previous years have also seen production of the Elan (an elongated east-west version) and the micro.
While most Hermès bags are produced in a variety of colors and materials, the Constance is the only bag which features a clasp that has also been produced in numerous colors and materials, including various colors of enamel and types of leather (except for diamonds, which are occasionally used for Birkin and Kelly hardware).
The Hermès Bolide
The zip closure was a new invention when then-CEO Émile-Maurice Hermès traveled to America in 1916. First noting the zipper on the cloth top of a car when he toured Henry Ford’s automobile factory, Émile-Maurice patented its design for use in France and, in 1923, utilized it as a closure for Hermès’ newest bag.
The bag’s design, which featured a rounded top, two handles and an oval patch suitable for monogramming, was initially called “le sac pour l’auto”, as it was intended to fit in a car’s trunk for automobile travel. The design was reimagined in 1982, adding the lock, clochette and key (for all sizes except the mini), and a removable shoulder strap.
Known for a time as the Bugatti, the bag was renamed Bolide (an old word meaning comet or meteor) in 1994.
The Bolide is currently produced in a variety of sizes and styles, including sizes 27, 31, and 35 cm (produced in both rigid “Rigide” and soft “Mou” structures) and the Relax 45, the streamlined 1923 in Mini, 25 and 30 cm, the Skate 31 and 65, and the whimsical Bolide on Wheels.
The Hermès Evelyne
Originally designed to carry horse grooming equipment, the Evelyne was based on the bag worn by stable boys.
The purpose of the holes on one side of the bag, patterned on the Evelyne in a large H encircled by a hoof print-like oval, was to ventilate the inside of the bag, allowing the grooming equipment to dry. First produced in 1978, the bag, which features a wide strap and an open top with a narrow snap closure, was named after Evelyne Bertrand, the head of Hermès’ riding department.
The Evelyne has a minimalist, sporty appeal. Usually worn crossbody, it was intended to be a light bag that could move with its owner. It has been produced in several versions, including:
- Evelyne I: fixed (non-adjustable) strap, no exterior pocket
- Evelyne II: fixed strap, exterior pocket
- Evelyne III: adjustable strap, exterior pocket
- Evelyne Sellier: rigid structure; embossed H Diamant instead of perforations
The versions in current production are the Evelyne III and the Evelyne Sellier, in sizes 16 (TPM), 29 (PM) and 33 (GM) cm.FN 31 (MM) and 40 (TGM) cm sizes have also been produced.
As to the timeless question – does one wear the perforated side against the body or facing outward? – we defer to Hermès’ suggestion:
“It was traditionally worn against the body, but aren’t rules meant to be broken?”
The Hermès Garden Party
The Garden Party is a traditional tote bag with sturdy, tubular handles and a large interior with a flat base. It has a single palladium Clou de Selle snap closure (some leather versions of the Garden Party have a zipper-top closure) and a set of snaps on each side to expand the bag when needed.
First released in 1964, the Garden Party is frequently produced in either canvas – making the Garden Party a light, durable bag – or Negonda leather. It is currently produced in sizes 30 (TPM), 36 (PM), and 49 Voyage (TGM).
There is also a slimmer, square version with an attachable canvas shoulder strap called the Garden File 28 and a cargo-style version, which is taller and more narrow with a shorter handle and external pockets, called the Garden Party Pockets Vertical.
The Hermès Jige
A superslim square-ish layout with reasonable evening-event capacity and an unquestionably Hermès design?
That’s the Jige.
Designed by Jean Guerrand (Émile Hermès’ son-in-law) as a wedding gift for his daughter-in-law and named after Guerrand’s initials (J.G.), the Jige was first made available for sale in 1975. This perfectly elegant clutch featuring an H-closure tucks neatly under your arm and works just as well at a business meeting as it does at a cocktail party.
The Jige has been produced in Mini, PM and GM sizes, plus the Elan (a more rectangular, east-west shape) in 29 and 35 cm. The Mini comes with a strap.
The Hermès Jypsiere
The Jypsiere, a messenger-style bag that can be worn crossbody or on the shoulder, was designed by Hermès’ then-creative director Jean-Paul Gaultier and was first presented with the Autumn-Winter 2008 collection.
Another design heavily influenced by aspects of the HAC – it has the front-flap-and-turnlock closure secured by a lock – Gaultier also utilized elements of a hunting bag. The Jypsiere additionally features a wide, adjustable shoulder strap and interior compartments.
The Jypsiere has been produced in sizes 28, 31, 34, and 37 cm, although recently, a mini size has also been produced.
The Hermès Lindy
The Lindy is another bag designed by former creative director Jean-Paul Gaultier. An elegant and casual design, the bag was named for a dance called the Lindy Hop, which was popular in the U.S. during the 1920s.
The Lindy was designed in 2006 and first presented with the Spring-Summer 2007 collection.
This is a uniquely shaped, oblong bag with handles on each end rather than on a side or top. When held, the bag folds in the middle, resembling a fortune cookie. A removable strap can be attached to both handles, transforming the tote into a shoulder bag.
The top is covered by a wide flap; zippers on each short side of the flap close the opening at each end, and the long side of the flap hooks over a turnlock closure. Each zipper features a long leather pull, and the end of the pulls meet in the middle of the bag, also hooking over the turnlock closure. There is also a pocket on each end below the handle.
The Lindy has been produced in sizes 26, 30, 34 and 45 cm. In Autumn-Winter 2019, Hermès began producing the very popular mini (20 cm) version. The mini is the same as the larger sizes, except the strap provided is longer so the mini can be worn crossbody, while the other sizes are worn on the shoulder.
The Hermès Trim
The Trim – a shoulder bag designed to be worn close to the body – is one of those truly classic, understated Hermès styles that seems deceptively simple but clearly was produced with a lot of thought put into its design.
With its slim profile and adjustable (but relatively short) shoulder strap, the weight of the bag is well-balanced on the shoulder, sitting under the wearer’s arm for both security and easy access to the bag’s contents. Adapted from a horse’s feed bag, the Trim was first produced in 1958 and became another of Jacqueline Kennedy’s favorite bags. There are several versions of the Trim, including:
- Trim I: no base (the sides meet at a bottom seam), no zipper
- Trim II: base, zipper
- Trim Duo, two pouch sections, each with its own base, laid out side by side, sharing a top closure zipper and shoulder strap
The versions currently in production are the Trim 24 Duo, the Trim 31, and the Trim 31 Anate, which is a Trim 31 with fringe.
At this point, Hermès has made it so ridiculous to get a bag, that I am embarrassed to carry either one of mine. Between the games, the prespend, the influencers and the number of people who just buy to sell, I am totally over the entire brand. It’s the loudest quiet luxury brand out there. Maybe I’ll be a fan again in a few years, but for now, no thank you.
Please don’t take it personally and read my post above.
The only time someone should feel embarrassed carrying a luxury brand bag is if that bag is a fake.
May I ask what bags you wear now if not Hermès?
I now have my bags made at French atelier’s or find smaller, lesser known brands around the world. Though I do need to admit to really loving the Balenciaga Rodeo which is funny because it is very Kelly like.
Neither am I a fan – i purchased my first kelly 28 years ago and really enjoyed carrying it. Am now too embarrassed as well to carry it. I don’t my birkins. I still adore my market and cacahuète- no one knows it
I don’t understand the “embarrassed to carry my Hermes bag(s)” mentality. I bought my Birkin (from a boutique) and my Kelly (from a reseller) and don’t give a care who has one or how many ppl (“celebrity” or otherwise) carry them. I worked hard and am going to enjoy the fruits of my labor. After all, to me they are only bags which, like anything, are meant to be used and enjoyed.
We join the conversation when we are secure enough financially to no longer care about those who are unable to afford what WE have. Consider that perspective.. Economic hubris isnt a good look!!
What?? are you talking about?? I did not get anything like that out of @Paris comment. Perhaps you are the one who needs to get off your high horse and take step back. Your pretentiousness is REALLY gross.
You couldn’t be more wrong about me re: “economic hubris”. I grew up in a family of 9 children, poverty stricken and spent more nights hungry than not. I worked my ass off, my entire life, and put myself through college, without help. I also raised 3 children & put them through college & law school. I couldn’t afford any designer bags until I was 55. So, yes I am going to enjoy the fruits of my labor to buy what I could never afford before. Before you decide to jump on your pulpit and preach know what you’re speaking about.
My thought and feelings exactly. I love my Hermes bags and use them all.
You have the right! Babysat at 12. Worked from 15 on. Joined the Army at 18 and have earned advanced degrees and worked my ass off. I’m rich, LOL.. I know it, and anyone who sees me knows it… it is what it is.
Humility would go a long way with you…just saying.
Some people wear Hermès bags to say “LOOK I MAKE IT” and you’re going to eat it ALLLL UP honey 💅
We ARE going to show off our hard work, your opinion about it is that, just YOUR opinion! Humility, up yours! 🤪
We wear bags to enjoy them, and not give a flying FUDGE what you think. Too bad you care about other people’s opinions on what BAG you wear! Such a sad way to live 🤣
“anyone who sees me knows it”
So… you’re proud of flaunting your wealth in the face of people who struggle? Sounds pretty gross to me.
I don’t understand equating Hermès with hard work. Billions of people around the globe work much, much harder than you and me and yet will never be able to afford a Hermès bag. I assume that neither of us is bent over twelve hours a day picking melons in a field in 100-degree weather, working multiple shifts at a gas station, or going down a coal mine every morning. Hermès is about privilege, not hard work. We need to own that.
Who are you to judge the OP Paris as to whether you think someone’s worked hard enough to spend their money they’ve earnt? Be on it Hermes or anything we can buy in life. Hermes isn’t about privilege at all. It’s a leather goods manufacturer. Not life saving medical treatment. There are billions of people in the world. Billions of people work hard. Billions of people earn different amounts of money and live in different countries with different cultures and different jobs. Billions of people choose to work in different types of jobs be they manual labour or otherwise. There are price points and goods for all people at all earning capacities and for those who have worked hard whatever that might look like for them. The fact that you take someones comment of rewarding themselves for working hard and turn it into some woke privilege dialogue and judgement and saying the royal “we” need to own that, is just ignorant and arrogant.
OMG the big fat lie of equal opportunities. Like social determinism does not exist, and every one has access to the same things everywhere.
This is the most idiotic reasoning I have ever read! Jasmine is just putting things in perspective. All of us on purseblog are privileged.
Oh it’s the privilege of working my ass off to earn my wealth and I own that!
Beautifully said, Jasmine. Especially in times such as these, perspective is key.
I’m saying that finally, at age 55, I can buy what I want. Hermes was an example. I’m not going to apologize for working hard and now being able to afford things. Also, ironically I spent 5 years working in fields picking strawberries, blackberries, beans, black caps, raspberries, etc. in hot humid weather from morning to night. The irony, right?
Nobody is saying you didn’t work hard. Most people work very hard and yet only a few actually get wealthy as a result of hard work. Hard work does not equate wealth (at least in the United States where most wealth is simply generational). I am an educator. I spent 10 years in graduate school and I work my butt off to serve my community. Yet, I’ll never be rich. You need to be a little bit more aware of the rest of the world.
How can you say that “I need to be more aware of the rest of the world” when you don’t know me or my life situation? You can’t. I know how difficult it is, in the world, because I grew up in poverty and determined to help other people. That is why I became a nurse, but my heart was in social work. So, I went back to school for a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and later a Master’s Degree in Education. I worked as a S.W. for 20 years in Adolescents and then with the Elderly who, sadly, were the most abused clients. I saw the worst of the worst in nursing and social work. However, to know I could help people in dire situations is what motivated me to continue to serve my community. So, I actually am more than “aware of the rest of the world” based on my life and work experiences.
Like many here, I have completely outgrown my love for Hermès. I no longer want to be seen as one of “these” women.
Sadly, I’m in the same boat. The only H bag I keep using is my black kelly for formal events.
I’m in the same situation. I used to obsess over getting BKC combo. Now that I have all three, my taste is changing and I am not that excited about what used to be my holy grail bags. My most used bag these days? My vintage epi leather alma.
I also have a problem with Hermes. Most of the SA are arrogant. When you visit a foreign city for shopping, at the door you are asked, if you have an appointment! Sometimes you just want to have a look and see what scarves are new. I have so many H bags. They should give me a golden card and put a red carpet, spending so much money in the last 25 years. But they treat me very bad! My husband hates this stores! It’s such a mercy to be allowed to go in the store….
My husband He hates it too. You almost have to beg them to sell you a ridiculous bag, and on top of that endure the inappropriate attitude of the SA .😡
Beautiful bags. But the age of influencers has ruined its value. How is it that some have dozens of the bags and others have to struggle for years before they get one. Those who have a closet full always get new ones to unbox. I’ve lost interest. I like Chanel’s strategy. Yes, Hermes is raking in huge profits, but losing the real clients
Awww, no love for my most favorite Hermès bag: the Plume
Actually, I do love the Plume! It was hard to limit the list to 10, but I plan to do another 10, highlighting more under-the-radar bags.
And what about the Picotin? Under the radar and more useful than you might expect.
I don’t get the comments about influencers, etc. spoiling the brand. If you love a design and can afford it, buy it and enjoy it. If you’re trying to impress someone, give it a pass because chances are no one is paying much attention to what you wear or carry.
The Pico is another fabulous bag! I definitely need to do a part 2 for this article!
The Lindy is growing on me; I used to not like it but I’ve since seen a few “in the wild” and I find it more appealing than I expected. I would probably want a middle size. Not sure I like it enough to pull out my wallet (and would probably have to buy from a reseller) but I can definitely see the possibility of adding the bag to my collection.
The Lindy has been growing on me too! I have a friend who carries one casually and she makes it look so easy and chic,
When the Lindy came out I disliked it a lot. I changed my mind a couple of years ago and purchased one in black. It’s been on trips with me and is in regular rotation now. It’s different and not recognized in my part of the world and a fun bag. Helps to get a bright colored organizer because otherwise the interior of my black one is a big hole.
Me too! I’m a huge fan of the mini Lindy. The price not so much 😬
No mention of my favorite: the Halzan. Great under-the-radar, versatile bag. I love my other Hermes but reach for my Halzan most often.
Love the Halzan! There were at least another 10-15 bags I could have included here.
Thank you for the article. I bought the Jypsiere 28 in 2013 and that was it for me with Hermes bags. No bad feelings here, for me one Hermes Bag is enough.
I use my bag every day and so it has aged with me and I love it.
If you don’t mind, I would like to know the name of the silk scarf (if it’s a scarf) where the constance is pictured.
Thank you
It’s Parures de Samourais. Hope this helps!
Thank you! Yes, that’s what it is. It’s a cashmere GM, colorway 03.
I’d really like to know what those who love Hermes bags love about them. Is it just the moneyed status symbol? The styling, especially on the Birkin, is very user unfriendly. Most women you see carrying them have them completely open, which looks like a safety/security issue. The leather looks rather stiff, and for those prices it should be buttery soft like those on other brands like Chanel, Bottega and YSL. That said, I do like the exotics like ostrich and crocodile and the Kelly is a nice shape.
Like most luxury items, it’s mostly about being a social status signifier. Anyone who argues it’s not is just dishonest.
Hermes bags are just the best colours and leathers. I’ll never afford one but i sure do love looking at them in all their colourful glory.
Aside from the Birkin, Kelly, Constance and a few others, most Hermes bags can be bought from a fraction of the price on the second-hand market.
I love, love, love my larger sized Evelyne in etoupe with gold hardware. It was the only one offered to me in Paris other than Black. I never saw myself carrying this color combo, but I adore this bag. I previously carried the same bag in brick with white stitching and silver hardware. I wear it everywhere, it pairs with just about everything I own. It is two years old, I am heading back to Paris for two weeks in September and I will give the lottery system another go. I am not even going to look up a color, I’m going to see what they have to offer and probably buy another! Also with euro prices and the VAT, you can’t walk away from the purchase. It’s too good.
I’ve loved Hermes for about 25 years. I love that the clothes are more classic shapes vs being too over-stylized which isn’t my style, and I don’t care for products with a giant logo. In terms of their handbags, I love the shapes, colors, and variety of skins.
I started shopping at Hermes for RTW about 25 years ago and was offered a Birkin about a year later. Since that time I’ve added a number of Birkins, then got into Kelly bags, and most recently Picotins but also have a mix of their other bags. In all honesty I don’t care who knows what I’m carrying. I carry a bag because I love it – love the color, the material, the size, etc, and not because some influencer or other is carrying it.
I’ve had great experiences in some Hermes and others not but that’s no different than other designer stores that I’ve been to over the years, so a bad experience isn’t just an Hermes thing.
Since I visit Hermes stores primarily for RTW, I don’t have any expectation of being offered a bag. I do have wishlists with a handful of SAs at various locations and some times they come through and I’ve had opportunities to do SO bags. At the end of the day, what people carry or wear doesn’t make them any better or worse than any other person.
I’ve had the Lindy, Garden Party, Jypsiere, Evelyne and Kelly in various sizes. I will say the Lindy is very awkward to access — the zippers make it difficult unless you leave them unzipped, which defeats the purpose, though I loved that folded shape. Jypsiere also was difficult to get into, with that large outside flap. Haven’t had a Birkin or Constance. Have no desire for a heavy bag — the Lindy was heavy enough — that contorts one’s shoulders. And don’t really want a bag like Constance with such large hardware that it shows every scratch when you use it, thought I really like the small-ness of the leather itself. The Trim looks nearly identical in my eyes to the Gucci piston in the leather design. I do prefer crossbody bags, given I no longer must wear a suit to work that a crossbody strap seems to distort. Or just maybe I don’t have enough moola to be able to switch out these bags at a whim…. 🙂
The Trim have always been my favorite. I’ve always felt like the outlier in this.
The Trim was my first Hermès bag. 💖
I’d like to join in here without replying to any specific post.
Hermes, Rolex, Cartier, Patek Philippe … these are brands that people aspire to when they grow up, rich or poor. Italians and Chinese people always see getting Rolex as an achievement. A reward to oneself for working hard and saving hard.
There is nothing wrong with that. There shouldn’t be any justification to own one either.
A lot of the anti Hermès comments here stem from jealousy or inability to get a luxury item. So they disparage the brand and their products.
of I work hard and I want to reward myself with a giant chocolate cake, why can’t I? Why should I feel ashamed?
ditto a Birkin, a Submariner, an Aquanaut…
be happy and be grateful and ignore the negative people.